Syllabus Coverage: NFC5.1
There may be a variety of reasons for taking a nuclear facility out of service and deciding to decommission it. These include:
- End of operating life: A facility is licensed to operate for a certain period of time. Unless this licence period is extended by the regulatory body, the facility must be decommissioned
- Uneconomical operation: The operation of the facility may be uneconomical due to rising operating costs or falling revenues or both
- Technical obsolescence: The facility may become technically obsolete and hence requires retirement
- Safety considerations: A facility may be shut down if the regulatory body requires substantial safety improvements which become too expensive for the owner/operator to implement
- Change in government policy: A facility may be required to shut down if its operation is contrary to the government’s stated national policy
- Accident situation: A facility may be shut down following an accident or major incident